DOWRY: A SOCIAL PROBLEM
A dowry is a transfer of parental property at the marriage of a daughter. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment by the groom or his family to the bride's parents, dowry is the wealth transferred from the bride's family to the groom or his family, ostensibly for the bride. Similarly, dower is the property settled on the bride herself, by the groom at the time of marriage, and which remains under her ownership and control.
Advantages of Dowry System in India
Though the practice of dowry is publicly condemned, legally banned and morally despised of in practice it still persists as some of the supporters of this system argue that this practice has its advantages. Some of the arguments in favour of dowry by the supporters of this system are discussed here under.
1. Dowry helps newly married couple to establish their family
2. It makes marriage of ugly looking girl easy
3. Supports the Higher Education of poor boys
4. Raises the status of women in family
5. Promotes Inter-caste, inter religion and inter- state marriage
6. Acts as a provident fund
Disadvantages of Dowry System in India
In modern times this custom has taken magnified proportion and has emerged as contemptible social evil because this system has more disadvantages than advantages. Practice of dowry which assumed the form of an institution over the years has caused lots of hardship to large number of people in the Indian society. It reduces the sacred institution of marriage to business transaction. It has degraded a young maiden to the level of a salable commodity. Dowry has virtually become a menace in the Indian society. Its practice leads to various evil consequences among which the following may be noted.
1. Dowry causes great economic burden on bride’s family:
2. Increases corrupt attitude of parents
3. Lowers the standard of living
4. Dowry leads to some immoral practices
5. Dowry practice lowers the status of women
6. Dowry system makes imbalance in the sex ratio
7. Dowry practice enhances psychological tension
In many cases, girls are ill-treated even after the payment of dowry. So they spoil their mental peace and cause continuous irritation though they resist this treatment.
Many times just for the sake of dowry parents fix up their son’s marriage without taking his consent which finally leads misunderstanding and unhappiness between married couple.
Despite rapid globalization, liberalization and privatization dowry has become the greatest social evil today. Both legislative and non – legislative measures are to be taken for the eradication of dowry practice.
